At just 19, Brad Martin is the youngest snowboarder on the Canadian team. Yet, despite that fact, he's been racing against elite competition (Nor-Am Cup) since 2002, when he was just 15 years old.

In fact, Martin first started skiing when he was 18 months. As a child, he was constantly following around his older brother, whose interests included ski jumping off of homemade ramps in his friends' backyards. By the age of eight, Martin had discovered snowboarding, a sport that would end up sticking with him long-term.

Over the last few years, Martin has proven himself in competition in several disciplines, including halfpipe, slopestyle and big air. Last year was definitely the season he started turning heads, particularly in the event he'll be competing in at the Olympics: halfpipe. With a fourth-place finish at a World Cup stop in Korea, and an eighth-place result at the World Championships in Whistler, BC, it was clear that he had arrived.

During the 2005-06 season, he has carried that momentum forward. He earned four Top-10 finishes in his first six races of the year, including his first World Cup podium finish, a bronze, again at Whistler.

Although contending for a medal in Turin won't be easy, Martin could score a surprise trip to the podium if things go right.